Igniting Imagination - A partnership between Melbourne Festival and Multicultural Arts Victoria

Deng (Cornerstone), Photograph by James Henry

Cultural Ambassadors

On Thursday September 29th the Melbourne Festival Director Brett Sheehy and Executive Director Tim Jacobs along with Jill Morgan MAV Executive Officer welcomed six prominent and active members of Melbourne's culturally diverse artistic communities nominated by MAV to be Melbourne Festival Ambassadors.

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From India to Sudan, from Ireland to South Africa and from Syria to Japan, this year's Melbourne Festival is the most diverse yet. The overarching theme across this great diversity is the concept of coming together.

With this in mind, Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) and Melbourne Festival have combined forces to ensure greater community input at a grass roots level as well as offer a range of new professional arts experiences for contemporary local artists.

These leaders will take an active role in experiencing the Festival and connecting the Festival to their communities. Three simultaneous programs will be running alongside the Melbourne Festival Ambassadors in association with Multicultural Arts Victoria where participating companies will be linking with local arts practitioners and communities in a creative dialogue.

Richi Madan (left to right), Tim Jacobs, Executive Director, Melbourne Festival, Brett Sheehy, Melbourne Festival Director, Stevan Simba Kali, Evelyn Tadros, Jill Morgan, Executive Officer, Multicultural Arts Victoria Claudia Escobar, Multicultural Arts Victoria and Janet Wells, Melbourne Festival

Richi Madan, pioneer of Australian Bollywood scene - organised the first Bollywood and Bhangra club nights in Melbourne
Lisa Hilli is a proud Papua New Guinean / Australian visual artist - explores cross cultural identity
Stevan Simba Kali, South Sudanese musician - aims to entertain, educate and unite
Jacinta Tchen, member Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne (CYSM) - Melbourne's premier lion and dragon dance group
Zvi Belling from Public Opinion Afro Orchestra - delivers contemporary African funk
Evelyn Tadros, founder of Australia's first Human Rights Arts and Film Festival (HRAFF)

Download Profiles of Cultural Ambassadors

Zvi Belling from Public Opinion Afro Orchestra (from left), Tim Jacobs, Executive Director, Melbourne Festival, Stevan Simba Kali, South Sudanese musician, Evelyn Tadros, founder of Human Rights Arts and Film Festival (HRAFF), Brett Sheehy, Melbourne Festival Director, Richi Madan, pioneer of Australian Bollywood scene (photographs by James Henry)

Melbourne Festival Director, Brett Sheehy, Jill Morgan, Executive Office, Multicultural Arts Victoria and Tim Jacobs, Executive Director, Melbourne Festival

Zvi Belling from Public Opinion Afro Orchestra and Melbourne Festival Director Brett Sheehy

Evelyn Tadros, founder of Human Rights Arts and Film Festival (HRAFF) (centre) and Janet Wells, Melbourne Festival (right)

Richi Madan, pioneer of Australian Bollywood scene and Melbourne Festival Director, Brett Sheehy

Jill Morgan, Executive Officer, Multicultural Arts Victoria (centre) speaking with Zvi Belling from Public Opinion Afro Orchestra (right) and Stevan Simba Kali (left)

Melbourne Festival Director Brett Sheehy speaking with Richi Madan

Stevan Simba Kali, South Sudanese born musician currently residing in Melbourne and Melbourne Festival Director Brett Sheehy

Evelyn Tadros, founder of Human Rights Arts and Film Festival (HRAFF) and Melbourne Festival Director Brett Sheehy

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